The Role of Classroom Interaction in Developing EFL Learners’ Critical Thinking

Abstract

The present study initially aims at exploring English foreign language learners’ attitudes towards the impact of classroom interaction on critical thinking. It also endeavors at investigating English foreign language Learners’ perceptions concerning the importance of critical thinking. Most English language students encounter difficulties during their learning process among which their inability to think critically. Hence, it is hypothesized that English foreign language learners may have positive attitudes towards the role of classroom interaction in developing critical thinking. For approving or rejecting the precedent hypothesis, a descriptive method that comprises only one quantitative tool has been adopted. Concerning this issue, a questionnaire is administered to one hundred First-year Master students at the Department of English, University of 8 Mai 1945, Guelma. The questionnaire is sent through online Google form via both Facebook and emails. After the analysis and the interpretations of students’ answers and results, it is displayed that classroom interaction strategies especially teachers’ questioning and peer’s exchange of thoughts, as well as both types of classroom interaction may serve to enhance students’ critical thinking. Accordingly, the retrieved results confirm the hypothesis, which indicates that English foreign language learners have shown positive attitudes towards the role of classroom interaction in developing critical thinking. Finally, the findings encourage both teachers and students to use classroom interaction as an effective strategy to promote critical thinking.